A night away

Hi there

I'm now getting ready to make a very quick trip to Hanoi on Monday. This is a business trip so I'll only be there for one night! This will be my second trip to Hanoi and I really enjoyed my first. I estimate that if I'm lucky with my flight, i.e if it leaves on time, I'll have a few hours to be a tourist. So this morning I've been surfing to get an idea of what I could do. I enjoy this kind of browsing but inevitably get side tracked, into organising fantasy holidays! My husband is alos making a business trip in about a week's time to New Zealand, so I have also been trying to find out about the place he's going to. New Zealand is definately high up on my list of dream destinations.

I want to take time to answer some questions raised by readers. Mauricio asked about the use of finery. It is only used to describe the whole outfit, dress, jewellery, accessories. I can't think of any other use. Yes, a train was derailed recently but luckily noone was inside it as it happened at the end of the track, where trains are serviced which is quite close to where I live.

A while ago Vive from china also asked about the difference between a salutation and a greeting. They have the same meaning but are used differently. Salutation is very formal and used mainly to describe the format of a letter (as in my blog). A greeting on the other hand is a neutral word and used in many siotuations.

Finally for today Ruth noticed that many of my blogs opened with the use of the present perfect simple e.g I've been/done. Ruth this is because my focus is on recent achievement, something that I've just completed. You will notice the same use in newspapers.

I'm out of teacher mode now but do want to say thank you for all your comments and to keep them coming please!

Tricia

Patterns and lexis from today

I estimate that if I'm lucky with something

to (inevitably) get sidetracked

to be high up on a list of something

A train was derailed

at the end of the track

a neutral word

to be out of (teacher) mode

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